An Astounding Glimpse
by ShadowChat
Summary: Ladybug hasn't always picked the greatest places to transform but when desperately fatigued she chooses to hide beneath the school stairs to revert back. With her mind less than sharp, Marinette can't understand why Adrien is standing nearby with a stunned expression on his face. Nor does she expect to suddenly become the focus of his attention.
1. Chapter 1

**-1-**

Ladybug tossed the latest lucky charm into the air and called, "Miraculous Ladybug!" As usual all the wrongs were set right by the rush of magical beetles and all was good in Paris. Beside her stood a weary Chat Noir who lifted his fist in their ritual fist bump.

"Pound it," they said in tandem, both lacking enthusiasm due to sleep deprivation. It seemed it was Hawkmoth's latest ploy to steal their miraculous. Ladybug was concerned that it might eventually work.

With a yawn she bid her partner goodbye and returned to school. The poor girl was so tired she almost walked to class in her costume but as she tripped on the bottom of the stairs she was alerted to the fact that she was still in her scarlet and black spotted costume. Ducking beneath the metal stairs, Ladybug dropped into a crouch and transformed back.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her and Marinette had to place her hands on the ground to steady herself. But she couldn't close her eyes, it would guarantee sleep. Instead she forced herself to her feet and emerged from her hiding place. But her steps faltered and her heart pounded as she locked eyes with Adrien who was standing at the foot of the stairs looking confounded. His mouth was open and his green eyes were unblinking.

"Adrien," she said with a startled gasp. "Are you okay?"

The blonde continued to stare but he started blinking. "Um, yeah. I-I'm fine."

Thudding footfalls had Marinette peering behind Adrien to see Alya racing towards them. "Oh thank God, I thought I was going to be the last one back from that akuma attack."

"Nope, not quite." Marinette said with a grin at her friend. Although her eyes wandered back to Adrien who was still staring at her like he'd seen a ghost. "Come on, we better hurry."

That was all the boost the blonde needed. He quickly kept pace with both Marinette and Alya as they scuttled up the stairs and hurried into class. Their teacher gave them the stink eye but continued with the lesson. People were always filtering in at sporadic times after an akuma attack.

Sliding into her seat, Marinette pulled her tablet from her bag as well as a bottle of water. She hoped that by sipping intermittently she'd be able to stay alert, or at least not doze off on her desk. As she settled in she noticed the familiar blonde head before her kept turning ever so subtly. Green eyes were cast her way for brief interludes and Marinette wondered if she had a dishevelled appearance. Given her state of fatigue it wouldn't be surprising. With this worry cemented, Marinette found the resistance she required to fend off sleep.

By the end of the school day, Marinette could practically feel the purple bags beneath her eyes as she yawned. With sluggish movements she packed up her things and slung her bag over her shoulder. Her tired head immediately dipped as she made her way down the classroom steps. But she came to a sudden stop as she collided with a hard body.

Raising her head, Marinette had to wilfully clench her jaw so her mouth didn't drop open. Somehow, she'd managed to walk directly into Adrien. His warm hands rested on her shoulders and for the first time she noticed that he looked just as tired as her.

"Sorry," she murmured as she attempted to step back.

"It's fine," Adrien replied as he shuffled and blocked her path.

Marinette giggled as she assumed he'd tried to move so she could angle around him. But there was an odd flush to his cheeks that her brain was having trouble processing. It was rare for Adrien to blush over something so trivial.

"I haven't gotten a lot of sleep lately, so I'm more clumsy than usual." She couldn't help but add.

He nodded and looked like he wanted to say something as he rubbed at his nape. "Um, I uh, know the feeling. I've had a lot of late nights recently too."

It was then that Adrien stared at her in a way that baffled her. It was like he was trying to convey some message through his amazing green eyes alone. Perhaps if her foggy mind had been clear she might have interpreted what that was, but given the circumstances, Marinette had no clue.

She flashed her crush a fleeting smile, wondering if she should make a second attempt to move around him or remain where she was in the hopes that he'd want to talk. With the classroom emptying out and Adrien still standing fixed as he stared at her, Marinette subtly ran a hand over her hair to make sure it hadn't escaped in some weird fashion. But no, it seemed to be restrained in her pigtails as usual.

Unable to fathom why Adrien was acting this way, she got up the nerve to lean forward and whisper, "Why do you keep staring at me? Is there something stuck in my teeth?"

The blonde shook his head and his top teeth ground against his bottom lip. "Your teeth are fine. Perfect even."

Again, there was a rush of pink to his cheeks and Marinette had the gumption to actually reach out and press a hand to his forehead to check his temperature. The move surprised the pair of them and she quickly yanked her hand back. "Sorry, you're looking a little pinkish. Thought you might be feeling unwell."

"No, I'm good. Really good actually." The boy shuffled on the spot, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets as he grinned at her like he'd just won the lottery. Not that he needed the money, being heir to the Agreste fashion empire.

But before their conversation could progress any further Chloe snatched up Adrien's arm and coiled around it like a snake. "Adrikins! You're coming over this afternoon, right?"

The boy's head turned but his eyes remained on Marinette until the absolute last moment. "Yes, but not until 7pm. I've got fencing practice." His eyes bulged as he swiped his phone from his bag and looked at the time. "I need to run or I'll be late." His gaze darted back to Marinette with an expression of disappointment. "Sorry but I've got to go. Talk to you tomorrow?"

Marinette's pulse rocketed at the suggestion. "Sure. I-I'll talk to you then!" she waved as he dashed out of the room with Chloe sauntering after him.

The spoilt brat turned to eye Marinette with distaste. "Don't get your hopes up, Dupain-Cheng. Adrien is just being polite. You're nothing special." With a flick of her blonde ponytail, the girl departed the room, missing the eye roll she evoked.

* * *

_**Hmm, what could have gotten Adrien so flabbergasted? Will Marinette have a sudden revelation or remain confused?**_

_**Thanks for reading, if you're enjoying the story so far please let me know by following, favouriting or by making a review in the box below.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: I just wanted to say wow! I'm blown away at getting over 60 followers from chapter one. I'm gobsmacked. Thank you so much for the support! I hope you enjoy chapter two._

* * *

**-2-**

Adrien was trembling like an autumn leaf in a stiff breeze, and it had everything to do with exhilaration. His mind was awash with excitement and anxiety, filled with new prospects. This meant the foil in his hand was unsteady and Kagami was kicking his butt. There was no doubt he'd get an ear bashing from his fencing opponent later but right now he didn't care. All afternoon his thoughts had been occupied with a certain classmate, a dark-haired girl with bluebell eyes that he'd unconsciously written poetry about for Valentine's Day a while back.

Part of Adrien was still struggling to believe that Ladybug and Marinette Dupain-Cheng were one and the same girl. His mind had been in a constant tailspin from the event he had witnessed earlier which was now forever burnt into his brain. At first, he'd thought perhaps he was so sleep deprived that he'd imagined the whole thing.

After the akuma fight, Chat Noir had returned to the bushes besides the school entry steps and shed his transformation. Peeking from his hiding place, Adrien had cautiously emerged and padded his way back onto school grounds. No sooner had he walked in when he saw his scarlet clad partner approaching the metal staircase closest to his upper floor classroom with her back to him. At the sight of her his pulse had skyrocketed and he'd silently stalked towards her as if drawn by an invisible rope. But then Ladybug stopped, ducked under the stairs only to be engulfed in a flash of pink magical light.

Adrien knew what this signified and his thundering heart skipped a beat. Normally he would have averted his eyes but the blonde was so awestruck that he didn't. The combination of fatigue and curiosity slowed his reaction time significantly. This delay meant he saw something he really shouldn't have and his feet betrayed him as they made the decision to walk towards her of their own violation.

Yet the world had stopped when his unmasked partner emerged from her hiding place. Even her movements seemed to be in slow motion as he took in every detail of her beautifully exposed face. A face he was all too familiar with, however he felt like he was seeing it for the first time. The second those big blue eyes landed on him he was a goner. It was her, how could he have not known?

White noise seemed to fill his mind as he continued to stare. Never in his wildest dreams had Adrien ever imagined that his good friend Marinette was also Ladybug. It was like his brain temporarily shut down at this revelation. Only when she spoke did it kick start his mind enough so he was able to form a coherent answer, but not much more.

He'd blindly followed Marinette to class, completely entranced as he trailed her and Alya to their seats. Then Adrien had switched to autopilot and took on the appearance of an interested student when in actual fact he was completely absorbed in the girl sitting behind him. The need to look at her had been as irrepressible as the necessity to breathe and the blonde had snuck as many glances as he thought he could get away with.

The haze of his inner thoughts dimmed as he realised Kagami was lunging at him again. He parried and somehow managed to best her at the last moment. It beat him as to how since he was running on so little sleep while completely distracted. Their teacher called an end to the session and Adrien hit the locker room to get changed.

"You were woeful today, Agreste."

"I know," he said with a glance at Kagami.

"Your head wasn't in it."

"No, it wasn't."

"Why?"

Kagami was always straight to the point. Adrien removed his fencing mask and tucked it under his arm. "I was thinking about a girl."

"Is this the same one that keeps you dancing on eggshells?"

Adrien frowned. "Marinette doesn't do that." Well he supposed she did but only when wearing her Ladybug costume.

"Marinette?" Kagami said while stopping to look at him. "As in your good friend?"

There was an underlying tone that Adrien didn't like. While he had shown interest in Kagami, he wasn't sure he was comfortable with the animosity which briefly flared in her brown eyes. It was as if she wanted him to confirm that Marinette was indeed just a friend. Yesterday he would have not only assured her but himself too. Now, he had no idea how to address the question.

In the end he chose to deflect. "She seems really tired lately. I'm worried about her."

The unease disappeared from Kagami's expression and her shoulders relaxed. "Perhaps there is something going on in her personal life that is causing her to lose sleep."

"Could be," he replied as he opened his locker and grabbed his bag. He knew what the major contributor to Marinette's fatigue was, Hawkmoth. The villain had been pumping out akumas at all hours of the day and night. Both of them were running ragged and he planned on getting some shut eye at the first opportunity, that is if his mind would stop buzzing with his new revelation. Adrien glanced back at Kagami. "I think I'll give her a call when I get home to check she's okay."

The petite fencer patted him on the shoulder and gave him an encouraging nod. "You're a good friend, Adrien."

* * *

Arriving home, Adrien opted to have his dinner in his bedroom so he could talk to Plagg. The black kwami had been slumbering in his bag for most of the day, claiming he was extremely weary from all the recent power ups for Chat Noir. Adrien tossed him a piece of camembert as he finished chewing his own mouthful of dinner.

"I don't know what to do."

Plagg gave him a quizzical look. "About what?"

"About what I saw. You know when Ladybug transformed back under the stairs and I saw that she's…" Adrien dropped his voice to an adoring whisper, "…Marinette."

"What? When did that happen?"

A dreamy look passed over Adrien's face. "As soon as I walked back into school."

The kwami rubbed his chin. "I guess I was fast asleep by then. Full belly and exhaustion will do that to a cat, magical or otherwise."

"So, you didn't know?"

"Nope."

Adrien scrubbed a hand over his face. "What am I going to do? I have to tell her."

A calculated expression settled on Plagg's face. "Well yes but not right away."

"Why wouldn't I tell her?"

"Your identities are meant to be a secret and she doesn't know you're Adrien."

"Are you suggesting that I keep my identity from her? That doesn't seem right."

Plagg crossed his arms and gave Adrien a meaningful look. Little did the blonde know that his kwami was trying to avoid the scolding he knew he'd get from Tikki. "You want to protect her, right?"

"Right."

"Then you need to keep this to yourself."

Adrien frowned and shook his head. "I don't know about this."

"Given the sleep deprived state you're in, I think it best."

Worry had the blonde's brow creasing as he walked to his open window, his finger tracing the sill. "What if I tell her as Chat Noir? Then she won't know I'm Adrien too."

Plagg gave him an unimpressed look. "You need to sleep, not undertake social calls."

Adrien turned his head, giving his open window a lingering look. "Perhaps you're right. Sleep first and foremost." Quietly he added to himself, "Outings later."

* * *

_**I hope you enjoyed a peek into Adrien's musings. Back to Marinette next chapter, do you think she'll get a house call from a certain black cat? Find out soon :)**_

_**Once again, thank you for reading and please let me know your thoughts in the review box below.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**-3-**

Marinette's eyes were gritty as she opened them to darkness. The back of her mouth was dry and there was a damp spot on her pillow which she discovered was her own drool. Wiping her face with the back of her hand, Marinette rolled to her back and stared up through her skylight at the stars. She had a vague recollection of stumbling to her bed the moment she got home. Apparently, she'd been comatose ever since. Her room held a faint illumination and she realised that Tikki must have turned on her desk lamp while she was sleeping.

But Marinette was in no rush to get up. Instead she continued to view the sky as the stars were displayed in small pockets between the slow rolling clouds. A sense of peace settled over her as she watched and she hoped that tonight would be quiet and uneventful. Her belly let out a rumble and Marinette snorted in response. She supposed that she should head downstairs to see if dinner was ready but she had no clue what the actual time was.

Rolling to her stomach, Marinette reached for her phone to check. It was then that she discovered she had two missed calls from Alya along with a number of text messages. Yawning, Marinette unlocked her phone to read them but froze when she saw that Alya wasn't the only one to contact her. There was a message from Adrien. Adrien Agreste had sent her a text message and she'd slept through it. Sitting bolt upright, Marinette went directly to her crush's correspondence first.

**Adrien: Hi Marinette. You seemed really tired today. I just wanted to check you're okay?**

Blue eyes traced over every word a dozen times while her heart pounded so hard it threatened to break a rib. He'd noticed her. Well, how exhausted she looked. Not exactly the way Marinette hoped he'd notice her. Yet it was something. Her fingers poised over the keypad as she considered her answer.

**Marinette: I've been burning the candle at both ends and not getting as much sleep as I should. Thanks for the concern.**

She winced at her own words. "Thanks for the concern," she muttered to herself. "Ugh, I sound like someone from the olden days. Sheesh."

The girl almost jumped out of her skin when Adrien responded almost immediately.

**Adrien: I know the feeling. I've been pretty wrecked lately too. Maybe we can snooze together at school when no one is watching ;)**

"OH MY GOD!" Marinette screeched as she stared at her phone.

Tikki suddenly appeared. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Marinette pointed at her phone, her eyes wide and her mouth moving faster than words could escape. "Adrien… Adrien… he… me… snooze together."

The red kwami's brow lowered in confusion as she tried to interpret her wielder words. She ended up looking at the phone. "Oh, he's been messaging you. That's sweet."

"Sweet? It's phenomenal."

"He is your friend."

"Yes, but he rarely texts out of the blue."

Tikki eyed the conversation threat. "Like a good friend, he noticed you're not your usual self."

Marinette held her phone to her heart and dropped back on the mattress. "He's so amazing."

"Are you going to message him back?"

"What do I say?"

"Something witty."

The girl gave her kwami a dubious look. "This is me talking to Adrien. Witty tends to be beyond my reach."

"You're texting, it gives you the opportunity to consider your reply."

"True," Marinette said as she lifted her phone and contemplated what to say while sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth as she typed.

**Marinette: From past experience it's very difficult to get away with snoozing in class. Even while pretending to be studying your textbook. **

**Adrien: Did you get caught using it as a pillow?**

**Marinette: LOL something like that. **

**Adrien: Oh, so you were snoring? ;)**

**Marinette: Hardly. It was my head steadily dropping towards the desk that gave it away.**

**Adrien: Ah, gotcha. Hmm, with classrooms out I that leaves us with the canteen, library, school yard, locker rooms or… broom closet. **

**Adrien: My first choice would be the broom closet. Least chance of being caught ;)**

**Marinette: Are you sure about that? Kim and Ondine got caught making out in there. I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation.**

**Adrien: Are you implying you want to make out with me?**

The phone was almost crushed in Marinette's hand and her voice was a high-pitched squeak, "How do I answer that?"

A devilish smirk spread across Tikki's face. "You could say yes."

"I can't say that!" Marinette grumbled.

At that moment the phone rang and Marinette dropped it on the mattress to stare at it in horror. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!"

"It's Alya." Tikki said as she zipped down to view the caller ID.

With a groan, Marinette picked up the phone feeling both relieved and annoyed. "Hi."

"So you are alive, I was wondering. You still sound grouchy though."

"You interrupted a texting session with Adrien."

"Oh, is that what kids are calling it these days?" Alya chuckled.

Marinette grumbled something under her breath in return that just had Alya laughing harder. As she finally calmed, Alya added, "He did seem awfully intrigued by you today. Did you see how many times he glanced back at you?"

"I did but thought I must have had something in my teeth. Turns out he's just concerned about how tired I've been looking."

"Yeah, you have had dark circles under your eyes lately."

"Thanks a lot. You know how to inspire confidence."

Alya chuckled again. "At least it got him to notice you."

"Yeah but not in a good way."

"It's better than not at all."

Marinette sighed just as her phone pinged with another message. "Let me check this."

**Adrien: Sorry if I overstepped the mark. I didn't mean to.**

**Marinette: Alya called. This could be a while. **

**Adrien: Not a problem. Sleep well, princess.**

Her eyes bulged at his endearment and she uttered, "He just called me princess."

Alya's voice was smug. "Sounds like progress to me."

The girls continued to chat for a while longer, to the point that Marinette took the phone downstairs so she could eat her dinner which had been left in the oven for her. Sabine fussed over her, combing her bangs out of her eyes as she handed her daughter cutlery. Alya continued to talk about the latest string of akuma attacks and Marinette made the appropriate noises of response.

They finally bid each other goodnight when Marinette detoured for a shower. She was towelling her hair dry as she entered her room in her pyjamas and flinched when she heard a thud on her balcony. Glancing outside she saw that the wind had picked up but not enough to knock over her plant pots. Curious, she climbed to her bed and peered up through her skylight to see a pair of glowing green eyes looking back in return.

* * *

_**Chat Noir took a little longer to arrive than I first planned. Next chapter will go into his visit ;)**_

_**Thanks so much for the support and reviews. **_


	4. Chapter 4

**-4-**

Seeing Chat Noir had Marinette's pulse rising with urgency. If her partner was here it was likely that there was another akuma attack. Moving to the latch, she unlocked it and flung open her skylight window. "What is it this time?" she asked automatically with the unthinking authority of Ladybug.

Chat Noir's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"It's another akuma right?"

"Um, no."

Marinette stared at him in confusion. "Oh. Given how many there have been lately, I assumed that was why you're here."

The deep blush staining Chat Noir's cheeks had Marinette gawking at him. Her partner was rarely embarrassed. Sheepish, yes. Embarrassed, not so much. There was hesitation in his voice as he answered, "I was just out getting some air."

Marinette's eyebrows lowered as she considered how exhausted he'd been after their last fight. "You should be getting sleep."

Chat Noir rubbed at his nape, his eyes darting away from hers. "I've had some sleep."

"Even with the mask on I can recognise bags under your eyes."

His hand lifted to touch his cheek. "I do not have bags."

"I didn't realise you were so vain, kittycat."

"I'm not but I need to keep up a certain appearance." He seemed to blanch at his own comment. "Not that it's vital or anything."

Marinette sniggered. "As I said, vain."

Chat Noir gave her an unimpressed snort and crossed his arms.

"So, why are you here?"

Feline ears swivelled outwards and his tail twitched. "I, um, just wanted to see you."

Puzzlement had Marinette's eyebrows pulling together. "Why?"

"Just because."

Marinette continued to stare. "You don't normally pop around."

Chat Noir's fingers lifted to tug the hair at his nape as he exhaled, hard. "I need to tell you something."

"Okay."

The muscles in Chat Noir's cheek flexed with the tensing of his jaw. "I uh…"

Again, his cheeks heated and Marinette was baffled as to what could have Chat Noir so flustered.

"…I can't get to sleep."

Long dark lashes blinked slowly. "And you needed to tell me that?"

"Well, I uh, needed to tell someone."

The forced smile Chat Noir wore had Marinette scowling. "Okay."

Leaning his weight on his elbows, the feline hero dipped his head closer. Uncertainty shone in his eyes as he asked, "Would you stroke my hair?"

The request had her sitting back to stare at him.

"It relaxes me," he quickly added.

With a shrug, Marinette raised her hand and combed through his locks at his temple. Chat Noir closed his eyes and his head drooped towards her. As she continued to rake her fingers through his hair his whole body slumped and he began to purr. Marinette couldn't help but giggle which in turn had him stiffen with alertness.

"What?" he snapped with a look of insecurity.

"You were purring."

"I was?"

"Yeah, it's kind of sweet."

A slow smile spread across her partner's face and she was certain he leaned closer to her. His move was confirmed as he overbalanced and tumbled through her skylight to land on her bed.

"Sorry," he cried while lying in a mess of arms and legs.

Marinette covered her mouth with her hand to supress the need to laugh at him. Chat Noir slowly untangled himself and unsteadily shifted to his haunches. "You look exhausted," she admitted.

"I am exhausted," he yawned.

Taking pity on him, Marinette waved Chat Noir over to lie beside her. His Adam's apple bobbed but he obeyed her request. As he placed his head on the cat pillow she returned to stroking his hair and watched the tension leave his lean frame. Soon enough, Marinette was yawning and her eyelids were drooping as much as her partner's. Eventually her hand stilled, tangled in his blonde mop as both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Something warm was blowing on Marinette's face while she was pressed firmly against a hard presence. Blinking her blue eyes open, the girl gasped as she discovered the warmth was Chat Noir exhaling on her face with his chin leaning on her forehead. The hardness was his frame snuggled up to hers. It had never entered her mind as to how his wiry physique would feel. While there wasn't a lot of him, Chat Noir was all lean muscle and concealed power.

Taking in the current situation, Marinette discovered that she had one arm draped around Chat Noir's waist while the other was pinned between their chests. Despite the shock of waking up with her partner, Marinette was feeling more rested than she had in ages. There had been comfort in touching Chat Noir as she'd drifted off and apparently the feeling was mutual.

It took a quick glance for the girl to realise that her alarm would go off in the next ten minutes, so she gave Chat Noir a slight shove to try and rouse him. Cat ears twitched and his masked nose wrinkled.

"Chat," she whispered as she shook him gently.

He snorted and opened a single eye. Then he darted his head back, his eyes peeled in shock. "Marinette!" his hand went to his face and he let out a relieved sigh. "Sorry, I panicked thinking I might have dropped my transformation."

"You're still Chat Noir."

A smile small stretched across his lips. "Yeah, I am."

"It's morning."

Chat Noir raised his arms over his head and engaged in a full body stretch, arching his back in a completely feline move. "I guess that means I've outstayed my welcome."

"I hadn't meant for you to stay the night."

"Nor I. But it was nice."

Marinette couldn't help but return his warm smile. Yet she broke eye contact first, before it could get weird.

"Well, I better get home." Chat Noir stated as he rose to his feet, reaching for the skylight that was still open.

"Yeah, I need to get ready for school."

"Me too." There was a mischievous hint of a smirk on his face just before he pulled himself up onto the balcony. "Thanks for helping me get to sleep."

"No problem," she replied as she swept her bangs from her eyes. "Stay sharp for the next akuma attack."

"I will," he promised as he lowered the skylight window. "I always strive to be at my very best for my lady."

Marinette's grin widened as she waved goodbye to the departing superhero. She felt lighter knowing that they were both feeling less fatigued. Pushing her pillow aside, the girl made her way down her ladder and proceeded to get ready for the day.

Tikki emerged from where ever she'd been snoozing. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. Actually, it's the best night's sleep I've had in ages."

The scarlet kwami smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

Blue eyes drifted up to her loft bed and Marinette was unconscious of the pleased look that settled on her face.

* * *

**Now that Marinette is more lucid, will she start to piece things together or will she be blindsided by Adrien at school? What do you think will happen?**

**Thanks for reading, following, favouriting and review - it's much appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**-5-**

Having a decent night's sleep did wonders for Marinette's mood. She wasn't nearly as grumpy as she had been the last few mornings. While she'd never been a perky person when rising, it was nice having some extra energy as she went through her morning routine. Sabine gave her a warm smile and a one-armed hug as she put the milk back in the fridge. "Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?"

"Yes, I actually did."

"Did you finally decide to turn in early for a change?"

Marinette gave her mother an unimpressed look at the gentle jab. "I did." Over the last few weeks she'd had to give a number of excuses for her fatigue. Mainly she jumped between doing homework, her design projects or simply losing herself in a good book for too long. It wasn't like she could say that she'd been out as Ladybug fighting akumas. Although sometimes she really wished she could.

It had been refreshing spending some quiet time with Chat Noir. His visit had been unexpected and somewhat odd but still… nice. While he often annoyed her as Ladybug, she did care about her partner and she had idly wondered how he was fairing too. Knowing that he'd slept just as soundly as her had been a balm to a worry she liked to pretend she didn't feel.

After downing her breakfast and packing her bag, Marinette made her way to school. She had no chance to talk to Tikki as there were a number of pedestrians already on the street and she didn't want to look strange while talking to her handbag. As she neared the school she spotted Alya's vibrant hair at the foot of the stairs. Her arms were waving wildly about as she conversed with someone.

Yet Marinette's smile began to fade as she caught a glimpse of who Alya was speaking to. Lila gave a flick of one of her loose pigtails and let out a laugh that didn't ring true. Honestly, how did any of her classmates buy the liar's proclamations? Trying to conceal her scowl, Marinette made her way to the school entrance but her ability to control her features vanished as she caught wind of Lila's conversation.

"…I can't wait for it to happen. I mean Chloe has been okay as Queen Bee but we all know that she only got the miraculous by chance." Marinette's lips pursed together hard at the mocking undertone in Lila's voice. "Last time I was talking with Ladybug, she said she plans to give me the bee miraculous. Since we're the best of friends and all. It's just going to be hard breaking the news to Chloe."

With her ire rising, Marinette didn't hear the car pulling up at the curb nor the light footfalls coming from behind her. It was only when the all too familiar voice which could melt her insides spoke that she realised Adrien was behind her. "Good morning, Marinette."

Spinning on her heel, the girl turned to face her crush while knowing that her face was steadily turning the deepest of pinks. "Hi Adrien," she managed to squeak.

Blonde eyebrows dropped in concern at her change of colour. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she managed to choke out as she inwardly blanched at the fact that Chat Noir had spent the night in her bed. What would Adrien think if he knew?

But before they could converse any further Lila was suddenly stepping in the space between them, effectively cutting off the model from further interaction with Marinette. "Adrien, you look great this morning."

"Um, thanks." He said while tucking his hands in his jeans pockets and looking decidedly uncomfortable with Lila's nearness.

"Did you do something different with your hair?" she prompted.

Adrien shook his head, "No." Then he shifted his weight to his far leg, locking eyes with Marinette as he stated, "I did get a great night's sleep though."

As blue eyes stared into green, her heart raced at the intensity of Adrien's gaze. It was like he was trying to say something with his eyes but the message was lost as Lila giggled and pulled on his elbow. "It must have been all the boring history homework. I know I was tempted to use my textbook as a pillow."

The model gave Lila a small smile that appeared forced. "Something like that."

Marinette considered whether to wade into the conversation to win back Adrien's attention. But if there was one thing she'd learned about Lila, it was that she was keen to win over Adrien and she didn't care who she had to trample over to get him. Fortunately, Adrien was aware of what a liar Lila was and for that reason Marinette decided to walk away.

Dashing up the school stairs she quickly caught up to Alya who was now chatting to Nino. "I so need to update my blog when it happens."

"When what happens?" Marinette asked.

"Oh hi, Marinette. Word on the street is that Ladybug is thinking of choosing a new bearer of the bee miraculous."

"Really? Where'd you hear that?"

A look of awkwardness flashed briefly on her best friend's face. "I um, can't say right now. Not that I'm going to post anything until it actually happens."

"Fair enough," Marinette said with a nod while trying not to grind her teeth. It annoyed her at how readily Alya believed Lila's tall tales. Especially when she hadn't taken the time to confirm any of them, yet was okay with adding some of the false content to her Ladyblog. It was a topic of contention between the two friends and Marinette really didn't feel like diving into it again.

Nino picked up on the tension and cleared his throat. "I don't think anyone would be surprised if Chloe wasn't given the opportunity to be Queen Bee again. She's not exactly superhero material."

While Marinette knew she should agree, part of her was hesitant to. Chloe was horrible to her outside the suit but while she was Ladybug the mayor's daughter had opened up some. Chloe wasn't the ideal miraculous holder but her heart was in the right place when it counted, at least most of the time.

Knowing she needed to respond, she simply added, "I doubt that she was Ladybug's first choice for the bee miraculous."

"I'll second that," Alya said with a knowing smirk. Yet her expression only grew wider as the blogger glanced over Marinette's shoulder. "Morning, Adrien."

The blonde stopped beside Marinette, his proximity unusually close as he greeting them all. "Morning. Did I overhear you say something about the bee miraculous?"

"Yeah," Nino nodded, "we were discussing if Chloe will retain it in future."

Adrien scratched his chin and looked thoughtful. "It's not really safe for her to have it since everyone knows her identity."

Alya snorted. "I think that's the least of it."

"At the end of the day, it's Ladybug and Chat Noir's decision to make." Marinette pointed out while trying to be diplomatic.

"I'm sure they'll make the right choice," Adrien added as he placed a supportive hand on Marinette's shoulder.

The contact had her eyes widening. She should have been used to the model's casual touches when he spoke to people. While he often shied away from the unwanted touch of others, Adrien was candid when it came to reaching out in conversation with those he was comfortable with. But what really had Marinette unnerved was that he didn't remove his hand with any hurry. Instead the warmth of his palm seeped through the layers of her clothing as he continued to converse with the others.

It wasn't until the bell rang that he finally lifted his hand. The residual warmth from his touch remained but quickly cooled much to her disappointment. As they headed to class, Marinette noticed that Adrien kept pace with her. Together they ascended the stairs to the point they were almost synchronised in their movements. Oddly enough it reminded her of moving with Chat Noir.

Reaching the classroom door, Adrien stepped to the side and motioned with his hand for her to proceed. "Ladies first," he smiled with a flash of his teeth.

"Thanks," Marinette uttered as she dipped her head shyly and stepped across the threshold. Barely inside, her heart almost stuttered as she felt the touch of Adrien's hand on her elbow as he followed her to their seats.

* * *

**Annoyed at Lila and startled by Adrien's attention, will Marinette be able to focus at school or will Hawkmoth strike in his quest to keep the hero's tired? Find out next chapter...**

**Thanks again for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing. Your support is much appreciate. Can't believe the story is just one shy of 100 followers - thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**-6-**

It was a practically a miracle, or in Adrien's mind the divine intervention of true love, that allowed him to get home without being caught. Chat Noir had flipped gracefully through his bathroom window and dropped his transformation just as Nathalie's voice echoed through his bedroom door, informing him it was time to get up. Apparently, the reliability of his phone alarm was not enough.

Plagg poked his paws in his ears and rolled his eyes. "That woman has the emotional expressions of a garden statue but the shrieking voice of a harpy when she yells."

"It's not that bad, Plagg."

"It is when you've been holding a transformation all night while your chosen is busy snoring."

Adrien tossed his kwami a wedge of cheese and smiled. "Thanks for that. I never intended to stay so long." He let out a dreamy sigh, "It was heavenly. I'd love to wake up next her every day."

"Yeah, yeah. I know lover boy but you can't."

Picking up his comb, the model began taming his unruly hair. "I should have told her this morning that I know her secret. I have to tell her today."

"Are you sure about that?" Plagg said while cleaning his whiskers. "Think about it for a minute. You've been wanting to know who Ladybug is besotted with. Now's your chance to find out."

The comb stopped mid-stroke. "The identity of the other boy," he uttered as he looked to his own reflection.

Plagg simply nodded.

"As far as I know, Marinette doesn't have a boyfriend." His brow farrowed in concentration while he rubbed at his nape. Green eyes snapped up. "Luka, he's the only guy I can think of. Could it be him? She brought him to the ice-skating rink with Kagami and I." Adrien slapped his own forehead. "She probably thinks I'm in love with Kagami."

"Calm down, kid. You're jumping to conclusions without the facts."

"But I basically asked her for dating advice with another girl!"

"Not your finest hour."

"Plagg!"

"What?"

Adrien's face lost its desperation and morphed into something sterner. "You knew. From that time with Dark Owl, you knew it was Marinette."

Plagg gave a sheepish shrug. "But I couldn't say."

Raking both hands through his hair, the model began pacing. "I need to fix this. She has to know that I don't love Kagami."

"You dated her like once, kid, and it was interrupted by an akuma attack. Hardly the romantic pinnacle of a budding relationship. Besides it was months ago."

Dropping his hands to his sides, Adrien gave a sombre nod of acknowledgement. "But I said to Marinette that I thought Kagami very pretty."

"So? Tell Marinette that you think her beautiful. Heck, I've seen that dopey look you get on your face when staring at Ladybug's image on the computer."

"But we've only ever been friends. I don't think she'll believe me."

"Then don't rush it. Don't go full on Chat Noir flirt, tone it back and woo her as Adrien."

"Do you think that will work?"

Again, Plagg shrugged. "Can't hurt to try."

* * *

With this in mind, Adrien had ventured to school with a new purpose that had him invigorated. When he'd spotted Marinette outside the school he believed it a sign. Then Lila had gone and ruined it.

After extracting himself from Lila and dodging Chloe, he'd again set his sights on Marinette only to find her in conversation with Nino and Alya. Not an ideal situation for wooing his lady, but he did the next best thing, encroaching on her personal space. And then touching her. Oh, the hand on the shoulder should have meant nothing but he'd desperately wanted to spin her to face him, then take her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

Again, that didn't happen. Instead he'd settled for being near her. Walking her to class had been pleasant enough, especially when he got the excuse to touch her as they entered the room. But sitting before her was going to drive him to distraction. There were very few ways Adrien could steal glances at his lady without being obvious.

Genuine opportunities came when his classmates from the rear of the room answered questions and he was able to spin in his chair. Much to Adrien's surprise, he found his gaze catching with Marinette's a number of times and his heart thundered in response. Was she watching him too? And if so, why?

He was fairly certain she was unaware that he'd discovered her secret identity as Ladybug. But maybe Marinette was putting the pieces together. The idea had him blushing and pivoting back to face the front of the classroom. Miss Bustier was busy circling some particular point on the board when there was a boom followed by a number of screams.

"Akuma!" Alya beamed as she jumped to her feet with phone in hand.

"We don't know that," Miss Bustier said as she strode to the classroom door to investigate. No sooner had she stuck her head out the door when a billow of dark purple smoke began rising from the lower floor. Slamming it closed she turned to her students. "Quickly, under your desks. We'll wait until the smoke clears before evacuating."

Adrien glanced back at Marinette, seeing the panic in her eyes as she searched for a viable exit. But the only way out was the door or windows. Neither of them could depart by the latter without drawing attention. A flash of movement caught his attention as Alya dashed to the bottom of the classroom stairs to peer out the window, phone held in hand as she videoed.

Nino reached for his girlfriend's arm. "Come on, we need to get down."

"Just a minute. I'm trying to see what the purple smoke does."

Glancing to the rear of the room, Adrien noticed that everyone else was under their desk. Well other than him, Marinette, Alya and Nino. His partner seemed torn in what to do, so he acted on her behalf. "Marinette," he said as he stepped up to her and took hold of her arm. "We need to get down." With that he tugged her into a crouch and pulled her under the desk with him.

"Oh no," Alya groaned. "It looks like it's another love akuma."

"What do you mean?" Nino asked.

"It means anyone who breathes that purple gas gets all lovey-dovey. There are people kissing and hugging out there everywhere."

Beside him, Adrien heard Marinette's breathing hitch and he turned to look at her. Blue eyes were staring at him in a way he couldn't interpret. There was a touch of anxiousness but also… interest? That had him baffled. Perhaps she was hoping her beau would be engulfed by the purple smoke and would want to make out with her. Jealousy burned within him.

Then Marinette winced. "Adrien, you're hurting me."

He blinked as he realised his grip on her arm had tightened to the point of leaving fingernail indentations. "I'm sorry. Just on edge." Adrien apologetically rubbed her arm in a quest for forgiveness.

"It's okay," she reassured him as her cheeks darked with a blush.

"Get to the desks!" Miss Bustier snapped at Alya and Nino.

Panic was thick in Nino's voice as he shouted in warning to everyone, "The smoke is coming under the door!"

* * *

**Will Adrien and Marinette manage to sneak out an transform or will they be affected by the purple smoke? Find out next chapter.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favourites. It makes me happy knowing that you're enjoying the story so far. **


	7. Chapter 7

**-7-**

Marinette was in a quandary. She knew she should be finding a way to escape the room to transform, yet she was reluctant to. Mainly because she was tucked under a desk with Adrien Agreste while he was ripping off his white button up shirt. She had no clue as to why he was doing so until he scrunched it into a ball and pressed it to her face.

"I'm not sure how well this will work as a filter but it's better than nothing."

His idea was brilliant and she wondered why she hadn't thought of it herself. The problem was, Adrien would be left exposed. Shucking her own jacket, she returned the favour and handed him the balled-up garment. "For you," she said as she handed it over.

Adrien bestowed a lopsided grin at her gesture which threatened to turn her bones to goo, until she mentally slapped herself out of her stupor. Both covered their faces and waited.

Slowly the room was clouded in a purple haze. Adrien's green eyes studied her with apprehension as he sidled up to her and draped an arm around her back. That arm guided her close, pulling her against his hip while his hand shifted to the back of her head to draw her face into the crook of his shoulder. At that point Marinette's breathing hitched. Was he reacting out of concern or was he affected by the gas?

With her heart thundering like a racehorse at full gallop, Marinette could only wait for the gas to dissipate. After a minute or two it did. Once the air appeared clear, the pair lowered their makeshift filters. The room was rather quiet. Together they stood from their hiding place just as the others rose.

Befuddled expressions were worn by most of her classmates as they looked about and then Marinette noticed something. Their irises and sclera turned purple, similar to the effect of Zombiezou. Within moments the occupants of the room eyed each other and paired off. Alya and Nino, Mylene and Ivan, Rose and Juleka. Heck, even Alix and Nathaniel plus Sabrina and Kim – given that Chloe wasn't interested in either of them. Max and Miss Bustier were heading out the door in opposite directions.

It was then that Marinette noticed Chloe and Lila zeroing in on Adrien. "They want you," she blurted as she grabbed his hand.

But Marinette realised she hadn't checked Adrien's eyes. Would they be green or purple? Turning her head, in what felt like slow motion, she noticed that his eyes were indeed their normal colour.

"They're coming from both sides," he pointed out as he stepped up, using the chair while he pulled her onto the desk and urged her to leap to one below.

In no time they were on the ground and rushing out the door. But they weren't clear yet. Many of the afflicted were busily engaged with the object of their affection. Yet there were still a number of wandering bodies seeking their sweetheart. Quite a few of the girls turned their attention to Adrien and shuffled their way.

"We need to run," Marinette stated as she tightened her grip on his hand and darted between the less interested parties.

There was an amused snort from Adrien. "This brings back memories."

"From when you were being mobbed after your 'Adrien the fragrance' ad?"

"That's the one," he smirked as she stole a glance at him over her shoulder. As luck would have it, that's when she collided with someone.

Adrien tugged on her arm, reeling her in just as she noticed it was a purple eyed Luka.

"Marinette," the guitarist called with a dreamy sigh as he reached for her with open arms. "You're the music to my silence."

"Come on," Adrien implored while pulling harder.

Mentally shaking herself, Marinette followed at Adrien's urging. "Where do you think we should go?"

Adrien shrugged as his head darted from side to side. "I don't know. Somewhere less crowded."

She also knew she needed think of how they could part ways so she could transform but currently, the options were slim to none. Then she recalled the boiler room when they'd taken on Horrificator. "This way," she called as she took the lead.

"Where are we going?"

"I think there's a way out via the boiler room."

"Seems extreme."

"You want to be kissed?"

"Depends on who it's by."

The unexpected flirty tone of Adrien's voice had her missing a step. But his hold on her hand corrected her mistake with such ease she glanced at him in surprise. It was the kind of move she'd anticipate from Chat Noir. Weird.

Yanking the door open, the pair sprinted down the long corridor. As they reached the boiler room, Adrien put out a protective arm and directed Marinette behind him. "Let me get this."

The blonde turned the handle and cautiously opened the door. Suddenly he bounded back as a pair of arms reached for him. "Adrien, beautiful Adrien," the girl crooned.

She had a fist full of his shirt, and all his back-peddling was getting him nowhere. Marinette stepped forward to help just as Adrien broke free from the girl's grip. With his arms scissoring, the model continued to back away. "While I'm flattered that you like me, I'm not interested."

This did not deter the girl at all, it was like she didn't hear him. Marinette looked frantically about, there was nowhere for her to hide and transform without it being obvious.

"Marinette!"

She turned her attention back to Adrien at his call.

"I've got an idea." Swinging away from the girl, he pivoted to face her. In a swift motion, Adrien's hands lifted to cradle Marinette's face. Sizzling heat radiated from his eyes as he dipped his face to hers. Then he leaned in and Marinette's lips parted automatically. But Adrien's mouth didn't connect with hers, instead he angled his head to press a kiss upon her skin, almost grazing the corner of her mouth.

To anyone looking it would appear that Adrien had kissed her fully on the lips. As if to confirm this, there was a groan of annoyance as the afflicted girl got the hint and ambled off. Adrien continued to hold Marinette's face, his eyes closed as if he were savouring the contact. While his mouth might have intentionally missed hers, it didn't stop Marinette's heart from pounding hard against her ribcage. Instinctively, she reached for him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

Adrien's thumbs tenderly stroked her cheeks as he slid his hands to the side of her neck and broke away. Those green eyes stared into hers briefly before he glanced to the side to see where the girl had huffed off to. "That worked surprisingly well."

While Adrien's voice held a roughened quality, Marinette was brought back to reality by what he said. It was just a ploy. Her addled brain had to remind her that he hadn't meant to kiss her for real. She swallowed back her disappointment and forced a smile. "Yeah, looks like it did."

"Let's see if we can find the exit." His hands didn't immediately leave her skin and Marinette could have sworn his thumbs gave one last caress to her jaw. Yet it could have been wishful thinking.

Giving herself a mental slap, Marinette cleared her mind. It was time to focus on the trouble at hand.

* * *

**You might wonder why Adrien didn't take the opportunity to kiss Marinette on the lips, next chapter will explain his reasoning behind that.**

**Sorry this chapter is a bit late, I have been rather busy. Your support is appreciated - thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting!**


	8. Chapter 8

**-8-**

The desire to have kissed Marinette properly had been unbelievably strong, yet Adrien managed to resist due to two factors: one, he was raised to be a gentleman and two, when he kissed her she was going to know that he meant it. None of this 'let's get out of a bind' nonsense. Even so, the mere brush of his lips so close to hers was affecting him badly. It was a teaser of what could have been so much more and his imagination was running wild when he should have been thinking about the situation they were currently in.

Normally this wouldn't have been a problem, if he were Chat Noir his partner was there to ground him. Ladybug always dragged him out of his dreamy stupors with a quick dose of reality. Unfortunately, Marinette wasn't responding as Ladybug normally would. Instead there was a gleeful glaze to her eyes which was taking all too long to blink away.

This time it was Adrien who had to ground his partner. Claiming 'the trick worked' was like a metaphorical bucket of water over the girl's head. The bliss disappeared from her face as she reacted to his words, clearing that delightfully goofy look on her face. The hard resolve of Ladybug was in its place, however there was a flash of vulnerability as Marinette cleared her throat.

"Right, searching for an exit." She said with a determined nod and strode deeper into the boiler room.

Adrien had a vague recollection of the area. Although the place had been filled with goo and large pink egg sags the last time they visited. There was a ramp around the boarder of the room and he spotted a potential path outdoors. "Maybe over there," he pointed.

The pair quickly made their way towards the narrow corridor which ended with a door. "Finally," Marinette said with a sigh but as she gripped the doorknob it refused to turn. "But it's locked."

"Damn," Adrien added while scratching at his jaw. They were stuck and would have to exit the way they'd entered. Meaning there was no way for either of them to transform without the other seeing. Which indicated that he needed to give Marinette a reason to leave him behind. "We could search for a key. But I'm not sure whether I should venture back the way we came." He rubbed his nape with a mix of genuine and feigned sheepishness. "There's a lot of fangirls out there."

Marinette's lips pressed together as if she didn't like the option of leaving him behind. Then her brow furrowed and he was certain she had decided what to do. "You stay here, I'll look for a key. Who knows, maybe Ladybug and Chat Noir will have sorted things out before I even get back."

It took everything he had not to smirk. "You're probably right. Are you sure you're okay with me staying here?"

"Yeah," she reached out a tentative hand and patted his forearm. "Stay safe."

"You too."

With that Marinette raced out the door and Adrien merely stood staring at it. Plagg emerged from his jeans pocket. "Is it time?"

"I'll give her two minutes head start."

"Fantastic, enough time for cheese."

Rolling his eyes, Adrien tossed a somewhat crushed piece of cheese from his shirt at his kwami. He could only imagine what Marinette had thought of the smell of his shirt.

* * *

Four minutes later, Chat Noir was rushing towards the commotion and location where the purple smoke was thickest. Perched on a nearby rooftop was Ladybug with hands on her hips as she surveyed the battleground.

"What's the plan, milady?"

Ladybug was startled by his approach and took a step back. "Oh, I thought you'd already be here."

"I got waylaid and had to delay my transformation."

"Must be the day for it."

Wanting to seem professional, Chat Noir straightened as he rested both hands on the top of his staff, leaning on it like a cane. "What have you discovered?"

"The akuma's name is Love Machine. I heard her spouting the usual akuma monologuing but I couldn't get close enough with the gas surrounding her."

"You know what's making the gas?"

"Seems to be from her hands but I'm not sure if it's something she's holding or wearing."

Chat Noir eyed her yoyo. "Maybe it's time for some additional luck."

With a lopsided smirk, Ladybug tossed her yoyo skyward. "Lucky charm!" Into her hands dropped a gasmask.

"Well that seems self-explanatory."

"But there's only one. Who's meant to wear it?" At her own question, Ladybug's head darted from side to side as she scoped out the area. Then her gaze grew sharp and her eyes narrowed as she concocted what to do. "It's for you."

"Me?" Chat Noir said while pointing to himself in surprise.

"We're going to need to get closer. Today I'll be the distraction while you use that and your cataclysm on her."

Chat Noir didn't feel particularly comfortable as she handed him the gasmask. "Okay. But are you sure you don't need to wear it?"

"Positive. You trust me, right?"

"Absolutely," he replied with a heartfelt grin.

"Then let's do this."

Fixing the mask in place, Chat Noir quickly followed Ladybug as she led them towards the akuma. Growing near, he could see that Love Machine was holding an incense burner in her hands, waving the potent purple smoke around to infect those close by. "There will be no more rejections. No more denials of feelings. Love will conquer all, as it should."

The need to pun was strong but so too was the impulse to flirt with Ladybug. Unfortunately, they were growing too close for Ladybug to talk. She had her yoyo open, using it as her own rebreather, as they would when they went under water. The problem being, it wasn't air tight around her face. Regardless, he handed his staff to Ladybug. "You poke her and I'll do my thing."

Ladybug nodded and accepted his weapon. Without a backward glance, Chat Noir sprung his way across the rooves of cars then up the side of the nearest building. Ladybug wasted no time in prodding at Love Machine by extending his staff in a flurry of jabs while she tried to stay away from the smoke.

In a harsh whisper, Chat Noir spoke within the gasmask. "Cataclysm." Power throbbed into his open palm. Hunching down, his dark suit blended in the purple haze as he snuck ever closer. Love Machine was furiously pumping out heavy clouds of thick smoke as she tried to retaliate against Ladybug. Moving to a run, Chat dropped to his knees and skidded beneath Love Machine's outstretched arms and swiped his hand against the incense burner. The object blackened and cracked.

Sure enough, the tainted butterfly flapped free and headed upward. Hawkmoth's unsuspecting victim dropped to the ground to hold her head. Chat Noir placed a hand on her shoulder and muttered some comforting words but the swarm of magical ladybugs was yet to appear. Concern etched his mask features as he searched through the thinning purple smoke. Where was Ladybug? She'd need the gasmask to perform her magic.

Striding away from the fallen akuma victim, Chat Noir noticed the akuma itself was getting further away. Scanning the area, he came to a halt as he finally spotted Ladybug. His mouth opened but no words came out. Ladybug was busy pawing a footpath advertisement with a lovestruck look upon her face. More importantly her eyes were the same vivid purple as those affected by the akuma. With the slow turn of his head, Chat Noir's green gaze fell upon the poster his partner was enraptured with.

Time slowed down while his heartbeat thundered in his ears. There in large print was the display of his own profile. A profile lacking the mask. One that Ladybug was stroking with her gloved fingers as if it were the most precious image in the world. For a whole minute, Chat Noir stood unblinking as he started at his partner. His brain processing only one thing: Ladybug was besotted with Adrien Agreste.

* * *

**Chat Noir has learned something unexpected but what will he do with this newfound information? More importantly, will he be able to get Ladybug to snap out her love induced haze to finish off the akuma? Find out next chapter.**

**Apologies on the delay for this one, peoples. I've been busy. Will aim to have the next chapter up in a week. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**-9-**

It was the beeping of his miraculous that brought Chat Noir out of his stupor. Ladybug hadn't moved but the akuma had. The tainted butterfly was getting away and they had to do something about it. Shaking his head in the need to clear his thoughts, Chat strode to his partner and shook her shoulder. "Ladybug."

Nothing. She remained fixated on the poster. Of him. Stroking the lines of his jaw in the picture. He really needed to ignore that behaviour and calm himself down. Drawing in a deep breath. Chat Noir tried again. "Ladybug, the akuma is getting away. You need to do your thing."

"Adrien," she said with a dreamy sigh as she continued caressing the poster.

Chat Noir's insides tightened and a thrilling shiver shot through his body in response to his true name. But now was not the time to dwell on that. "Adrien wants you to cleanse the akuma."

She finally broke eye contact with the poster. "Adrien's here?"

"In a matter of speaking," Chat Noir muttered to himself.

Ladybug's earrings chirped but no alarm displayed in her features. Those strange purple eyes were busy searching for someone who stood directly before her. He was just hidden behind a layer of magical glamour. "Where is he?"

"You need to finish the job."

"But I want Adrien." Her breathy tone was going to be his undoing.

Gritting his teeth, Chat Noir pulled off the gasmask and tried again. "Ladybug," he caught her chin in one hand and angled her head to the akuma. "Cleanse the akuma."

"But I need Adrien."

"He wants you to do this," Chat Noir insisted as he attempted to place the gasmask in her hand.

"How would you know?" Ladybug uttered as she returned to ogling the poster of Adrien.

Chat Noir rolled his head back, face point to the sky as he raked a hand through his fringe and pulled hard. There was only one thing he could do. Snatching his baton from the ground, Chat Noir grabbed his partner by the waist and launched them onto the closest rooftop.

Ladybug let out a distressed cry at being parted from the poster. Then turned on Chat Noir. "Why did you do that?" she immediately reached for her yoyo but Chat anticipated her move.

Yanking her roughly into an alcove by her wrist, Chat Noir rasped, "Claws in."

The flash of greenlight temporarily stopped Ladybug from struggling. Yet she dipped her head in what he could only assume was an ingrained reflex. But his attire was distinct. His signature orange sneakers must have caught Ladybug's attention as her head slowly lifted to peruse his outfit. As her face tilted to his, Ladybug's breathing became erratic.

"Adrien," she practically moaned in delight.

"Yes," he answered firmly while trying to ignore the way she was looking at him. The way he'd always wanted Ladybug to look at him, like he was the sun to her day, the moon to her night. But he refrained from drowning in those mesmerising eyes. Instead he thrust the gasmask into her hands. "Fix it all, LB. Do it for me."

"Anything for you, Adrien." She continued to gaze at him as she threw the gasmask in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug."

The moment the words finished being spoken, Ladybug threw herself into his arms. Linking her own around his neck as she leaned in to kiss him. Adrien stood helpless, wanting nothing more than to reciprocate. Yet this might not be what his partner really wanted. The rush of magical beetles swarmed around them a moment before their mouths met and Ladybug's purple eyes reverted to blue. The love induced haze cleared as she stared at him and suddenly broke away with wide eyes and scissoring jaw.

Adrien's hands had somehow gravitated to her hips when she'd attempted to kiss him. Now they were empty as the pair stood staring at one another. Would she remember that he was also Chat Noir?

"Adrien?" she said sounding perplexed. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"Last thing I recall was taunting Love Machine so Chat Noir could destroy the akumatised object. I guess I was affected by the smoke after that." Her face had reddened to match her mask.

"You were." Before he could elaborate, Ladybug's earring chirped in warning. "You're down to two dots."

She touched her lobes but her gaze remained on Adrien. "I'm sorry, but I need to go."

"No, wait! You didn't cleanse the akuma."

At that Ladybug scanned the sky for the akuma and set off at a rush. Though she skidded to a stop to glance back at him with a torn look upon her face.

"We can talk later," Adrien suggested.

Ladybug threw him a hesitant smile and waved.

Adrien had no idea what to think of that.

* * *

With nothing more than a slither of cheese, Plagg had repowered up, allowing Chat Noir to race back to school. The moment he was close, Adrien had reverted and checked the time on his phone then decided that ten minutes was a plausible amount of time for him to have gotten back to school, had his driver picked him up. Only Marinette would know how far he'd detoured from school and he suspected she was going to be on the lookout for him.

Adrien's suspicion was confirmed as he walked through the classroom door and locked eyes with Marinette. She was sitting at her desk, worrying her fingernails while anxiously staring at the doorway. He raised his hand in a wave of greeting which she returned with a shaky smile.

"No luck finding the key?" he asked in the hope of relieving the tension practically vibrating from her slim frame.

"Key? Oh, um, no. No luck there."

Marinette didn't appear to pick up the hint that he, as Adrien, should have still be in the boiler room. But that nugget of information apparently bypassed Marinette. Instead she dropped her eyes to the desk and gnawed on her bottom lip.

Alya's voice caught Adrien's attention as she walked through the doorway with Nino. "I can't believe it. No one could get close to film that akuma. I've got next to nothing for my blog. I might have to post a reward for any potential footage submitted."

"NO!" Marinette said shooting to her feet. "I, uh, think too many people would be embarrassed."

Adrien didn't miss the way Alya's eyes darted between Marinette and himself. Then a sly grin spread across her face. "Did you find yourself in a compromising position?"

Marinette's cheeks flamed crimson.

"Oh my God," Alya turned to look at Adrien. "You two?"

A wicked grin settled on Adrien's face. He didn't need to say a word. Alya was putting together what she assumed happened and he had no intention of correcting her. With a smug look on his face, he turned to appraise Marinette's response and had to stop himself from laughing. The poor girl looked like she was going to have an aneurism.

"It wasn't like that!" She desperately cried while trying to convince Alya of the truth.

Winking at Alya, Adrien replied, "In all honesty, anyone affected by an akuma tends to have no memory of what happened. We can just fill in the blanks with what we do know and hope we come to the right conclusion.

Alya rubbed her hands together. "So when are you two going on your first date?"

* * *

**How will Marinette deal with a flirty teasing Adrien? More importantly how long will she be able to wait before she grills Chat Noir to fill the blanks of her missing memory? Find out soon but feel free to guess in the review box below.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**-10-**

Marinette stared at her best friend in shock. How could Alya so boldly suggest that she and Adrien should date after the events of the akuma? While Marinette loved the idea of dating Adrien, she didn't want him to feel pushed into something he didn't want to do. Despite this she couldn't help but recall that moment when he had kissed her ever so close to her mouth in the boiler room.

The memory had her flushing which only fuelled Alya's assumption that her theory was correct. Inwardly, Marinette wished Adrien had kissed her properly, that they'd both been consumed in a moment of passion. Although it would have been preferable if it had been as a response from true feelings rather than a possible effect from the akuma. Instead, Adrien had kissed her as a diversion which made her certain that it didn't actually mean anything. Even though her pulse had pounded in her ears and his lips felt as though they marked her very soul.

Regardless, Adrien wasn't attempting to correct Alya's perception. Marinette had tried to explain what had really happened but when it came down to it, neither of the pair had confirmed anything of substance. Right now, Marinette was hesitant to look at Adrien. Yet when she did there was a distinct display of mirth in his eyes. Was this all a joke to him? Gah, she didn't know what to say or do.

Adrien pulled out his phone and studied the screen before tucking it in his pocket. Then the model leaned forward to cross his arms along the back of his seat, looking intently at Marinette. "I'm free tomorrow afternoon, how about you?"

This could not be real. Adrien Agreste was just playing along, wasn't he? Yet somehow Marinette managed to utter a response.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, you know, the day after today." His playful grin was reminiscent of Chat Noir and she felt the impulse to slap his arm in response.

"I know what tomorrow is."

"Good to hear. But does that mean you're free to do something date-like with me?"

Marinette wanted to scream 'yes' a thousand times but as usual her mouth failed to function as she wanted it to when around her crush. A less than subtle elbow from Alya gave Marinette enough motor control to nod her head with enthusiasm.

"Great." He turned to Alya, looking increasingly smug. "There we go, first date all lined up."

Her best friend grinned. "Fantastic."

* * *

The rest of the afternoon crawled by with the speed of a snail across asphalt. Most of the students had been affected by the akuma and were still a little dazed by the whole episode. Miss Bustier was turning a blind eye to the note passing and texting that was going on beneath the desks, probably as embarrassed by the whole situation too.

Marinette desperately wanted to text Adrien to find out what had happened to him after she'd left. He must have ventured out of the boiler room in search for her. It was the only explanation as to why he was with her as Ladybug when she'd been released from Love Machine's spell. It didn't escape her that she'd been in Adrien's arms, close enough to bump noses with him. The warmth of his hands had imprinted on her hips as she ripped away from him in confusion. Had they both been under the purple gas's influence? More importantly, where had Chat Noir disappeared to? Could he explain what had occurred?

By the time Marinette got home her mind was in a whirl. It would be too difficult to explain why she wanted to know such details from Adrien as Marinette. It was easier to make him think that she'd been exposed to the purple smoke and therefore didn't return. Which left either approaching him as Ladybug for answers or for Ladybug to ask Chat Noir. Neither was an optimal circumstance. The first was going to be potentially embarrassing while the second would probably involve lots of ribbing from her partner.

Taking her phone from her handbag, Marinette unlocked the screen and stared at it blankly as she deliberated what to do. Swallowing hard, she shot Adrien a message.

**Marinette: Hi Adrien, I'm sorry I wasn't able to get back to you after I went in search of the key. I hope you were okay.**

His response was almost immediate.

**Adrien: No need to fear, I was fine. Although I ended up having to help out Chat Noir.**

Good heavens, he was giving her the perfect opportunity to broach the subject she'd been wanting answers to.

**Marinette: You helped Chat Noir? How?**

**Adrien: He was having some trouble with Ladybug. Apparently, she wouldn't respond to him after she was engulfed in the purple smoke. **

Marinette waited for him to elaborate but no further information came through. She was going to have to prompt him if she wanted to know more.

**Marinette: How were you able to help?**

**Adrien: Wouldn't you like to know ;)**

A gasp escaped Marinette as she stared at her screen. "He's not going to tell me."

Tikki rose to hover at Marinette's shoulder. "Does he need to? You know how the purple smoke affected people, does he really need to spell it out?"

"Are you suggesting…" Marinette dropped her voice to a whisper "…that he kissed me?"

The red kwami shrugged her tiny shoulders. "It's a possibility."

As if reading her mind, Adrien sent another message.

**Adrien: Rest assured, there was no kissing. **

"I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed."

Tikki gave her a sympathetic smile. "Sounds to me like Adrien was being a gentleman."

"He's good at that," Marinette muttered to herself.

**Marinette: Does that mean you weren't taken advantage of?**

**Adrien: No such luck.**

"What does he mean by that?" Marinette shrieked.

Tikki merely shrugged and wouldn't look her chosen in the eye.

As Marinette continued to stare at her phone screen contemplating Adrien's possible meaning, her mother called that dinner was ready. With a disgruntled groan, the girl sat her phone on her desk and headed downstairs to eat.

* * *

With all the drama of the day, it had escaped Marinette that she was due to patrol as Ladybug that night. Although Ladybug and Chat Noir had slackened off in their routine patrols due to the frequency of Hawkmoth's attacks, favouring sleep where they could get it. Yet neither had remembered to discuss whether or not they were meeting that night. So, Ladybug ventured out with a sense of trepidation at seeing her partner. Sure enough, Chat Noir was waiting at their meeting point. He was leaning on his staff as though it were a cane. His feline eyes lit with amusement.

"Good evening, milady."

"Chat," she said with a nod in greeting. "Care to fill me in as to what happen today?"

"Oh, you mean when I was busy finishing off the akuma while you were enraptured by a poster of Adrien Agreste to the point of drooling."

Ladybug gulped and her masked eyebrows arrowed up in panic. "I wasn't doing that, was I?"

Chat Noir's grin became lopsided as he stepped towards her. "There was no drool but you were ogling and caressing the picture of his face."

She cupped her forehead in a gloved hand and closed her eyes. While Chat Noir continued, "You pretty much ignored me when I told you we needed to cleanse the akuma. It took the real Adrien Agreste to bring you back to any form of functioning."

"Oh my God."

Chat Noir looked at his claws briefly. "Let me guess, Adrien is the boy you're hung up on."

Ladybug didn't want to answer her partner, all she wanted to do was sink through the floor and pretend that none of this ever happened. To her surprise, Chat Noir pulled her into his arms for a hug.

"I'm so embarrassed," she uttered into his shoulder.

His voice was soothing as he added, "No one will remember."

"You do, as does Adrien."

"Oh, so you've spoken with Adrien."

Ladybug couldn't help herself and gave Chat Noir's arm a half-hearted slap.

"Ow," he chuckled.

"You're not helping."

"I'm being a supportive partner by giving you a reassuring hug."

She couldn't deny that as she signed and rested her head against the black material covering his collarbone. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Chat Noir cleared his throat. "Speaking of such, there's something I really need to tell you."

And of course, that's when the Eiffel Tower suddenly turned into a glowing spire of multiple gummy bears.

"Looks like it'll have to wait, kitty."

* * *

**Hawkmoth always has the worst timing and he strikes again! Will Chat Noir get the opportunity to tell his partner what he knows before their date out of the masks? Find out soon!**

**Plus I want to say a big thank to everyone who's got this far. Over 200 followers and 120 favourites, it blows me away. Thank you so much! Your support means a lot, including the reviews. **


	11. Chapter 11

**-11-**

Chat Noir barely suppressed his groan of frustration. The opportunity to tell Ladybug the truth had been right there and instead he'd goofed off to hide his own nervousness. It was like fate was punishing him. As if to turn the joke back on him. And then he had to fight oversized gummy bears that were smashed into gooey bits of yumminess which he wasn't allowed to eat. _Focus, Chat Noir. Be at one with your baton, not your stomach._

But his stomach played second fiddle to his heart which desperately wanted the truth to be revealed. Was he never going to be able to tell Ladybug his actual identity, and more importantly, that he knew hers too? Yet at no point during the akuma battle was he able to express himself. Nor was he able to drag Ladybug aside after it all to explain. Both had cut it too fine with their countdowns to hang around and talk.

So, Chat Noir was forced to keep his secret a while longer. He bid his lady goodbye when they rushed off in separate directions. Weariness of it all threatened to overtake the superhero as he raced home. Meaning his final entry home consisted of diving though his bedroom window with a sloppy tumble mid-air before landing in a crouch. Quickly followed by the ditching of his transformation. From there Adrien staggered to his bed and bellyflopped on his mattress.

Plagg let out a disgruntled huff at having to serve himself and sped to the cheese cupboard. Adrien didn't even need to look up to know this was where his kwami was headed. Instead, his mind swam with how he could have finally revealed the truth. With a groan of frustration, he pulled his pillow over the back of his head and buried his face against the fitted sheet.

There was no way, in good conscience, that he could go on a date with Marinette without letting her know the whole truth about their circumstance. Yet how could he let her know? While she might be completely wrapped up in the model side of his persona, she needed to understand that he was also her feline partner Chat Noir. The one she kept rejecting. Damn, did he have to tell her? The idea of being dumped because of his alter ego had his hackles rising.

Tossing the pillow aside, Adrien rolled to his back to stare at the ceiling. It was then that he noticed a flicker of movement in the shadows of his room. Along with the lightest of footfalls. Raising himself up by his elbows, Adrien's jaw dropped in shock as he saw Ladybug inside his room.

The heroine pressed a finger to her lips as she neared him. "I'm sorry to intrude so late but I… I need to talk to you."

Adrien's eyes immediately darted to the open cheese cupboard. Had she spotted Plagg?

"Okay," he uttered with a touch of edginess.

Ladybug cautiously lowered herself to sit on the end of his bed, her fingers locking together in her lap as she eyed him with uncertainty. "Chat Noir explained what happened earlier today."

"Okay," he repeated in a stupor. Ladybug was sitting on his bed. On. His. Bed.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I wasn't completely myself at the time. I hope I wasn't… inappropriate with you."

Green eyes widened and blinked with a flutter. "Inappropriate. Um, no, you weren't. Not at all." He was so tempted to add more to that comment but somehow managed to restrain himself.

Ladybug let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad." She reached for his hand, placing her gloved one over his. "I wouldn't want things to be awkward between us."

"Nor I." If only she knew how utterly awkward he was feeling right now.

"So, we're okay?"

Didn't she know the answer to that already? Oh right, she didn't realise this was Chat Noir she was talking to. "We're okay."

The vulnerability in Ladybug's gaze had Adrien leaning closer. Was it his imagination or was she leaning in towards him as well? Surely, he wasn't mistaken in seeing her eyes dipping to his lips. Or the way her fingers had tightened on his hand. Her breathing had definitely increased in speed, as had his own.

There was a reason why he shouldn't kiss her but damn if Adrien could remember right now what it was. All he could think about was the way Ladybug was looking at him. Like she was as desperate for his kiss as he were for hers. With his free hand, Adrien cupped Ladybug's cheek, smoothing his thumb along the edge of her mask.

A quiet burp sounded from his bookshelves and Adrien froze. Ladybug's masked eyebrows drew together as she sat back, looking at him in confusion. "Pardon you."

"That wasn't me," Adrien automatically stated, then realised he would need to explain.

Ladybug merely smirked at him, raising her gloved hand to cover her mouth as she giggled. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Adrien."

"I swear it wasn't me."

The romantic moment completely vanished as the professional set to Ladybug's face fell into place. Yet there was still a touch of playfulness to her eyes as she rose to her feet. "I'll take your word for it."

Adrien stood and immediately followed Ladybug as she ambled to the window. "Are you leaving already?"

Ladybug yawned. "Yeah, I'm really tired. Just when I think I'm starting to rid myself of fatigue, Hawkmoth starts dishing out more akumas at a rapid rate."

"Let's hope he doesn't create an akuma with the power of intense boredom."

She giggled. "I'll be doomed. I'll probably doze off before doing my job."

"Chat Noir could poke you awake with his stick."

"He probably would too," Ladybug laughed as she reached for her yoyo. "Anyway, I need to get going. I'm glad things are fine between us."

Adrien studied Ladybug for a long minute, mulling over whether or not to say anything. For some reason he thought the news would be best coming from his alter ego. Yet Ladybug seemed more receptive with his current persona. But as he looked closely Adrien noticed the flush to her cheeks and the fact that she was subtly inhaling deeper breaths through her open lips.

Deciding it was too tenuous to let the cat of the bag now, Adrien plastered a smile on his face which he hoped concealed his true emotions. "I guess I'll see you around."

"I'm sure you will," Ladybug smiled back. Although her expression appeared genuine. With her usual elegance, she leapt up to the window sill and bound into the night.

The model was drawn to the glass as he watched his partner depart. Her lithe scarlet figure moving through the moonlight like a spectre.

"You could have offered her some cheese. Not mine, but some out of your own stash." Plagg stated.

Raking a hand through his blonde locks, Adrien headed back to his bed. "I should have offered to tell her what I discovered."

The cat kwami shrugged. "You both need sleep more than drama. It'll keep."

Eyeing his kwami with suspicion, Adrien changed out of his clothes and into his pyjamas. "I certainly hope you're right, Plagg."

* * *

While Adrien was exhausted, his brain had been far too active to go directly to sleep. By the following morning, the model had dark circles under his eyes and a puffiness that would make his father shriek like a banshee if he saw it. Thank goodness it was Nathalie who roused him into the land of the living, though she furiously rubbed firming cream under his eyes like her life depended on it from the moment she looked upon his face.

"Did you stay up late playing video games, Adrien?"

The stern tone did little to bolster the model's mood. "No, just had too much on my mind."

"You have a meditation app to help you get to sleep. I'm guessing you didn't use it."

"I tried but it didn't work."

The assistant sighed. "I'll do some research into a more reliable app."

"Thanks Nathalie." There was little feeling behind the reply but then his father's assistant was halfway out of the room to hit her next task.

Meaning Adrien needed to hurry up and get ready. Plagg was happily snoozing in his cheese cupboard and snorted with disdain as the model picked him up and placed him in his pocket. "Is it morning already?"

"Yep."

The cat kwami growled in annoyance but was quickly soothed as Adrien dropped an additional wedge of camembert into his pocket. But the model's mind was quickly averted from his magical companion. There was a reason he'd had little sleep. He had an afternoon date to organise, today, the one he'd promised Marinette. And he wanted to make it perfect.

* * *

**My apologies for the long gap between posts, this chapter was temperamental. It kept wanting to be a reveal when it's too soon. I'm glad I finally got it to where I wanted it. **

**So, what do you think Adrien should plan for their date? I'd love to hear your ideas.**


	12. Chapter 12

**-12-**

Given the night's events, Marinette hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. Her aversion to morning was in full force as she considered pulling her pillow over her head and ignoring the brightness of the sun. But it was a school day and as her mother's voice rang out in chipper encouragement to get up, it made Marinette want to growl.

With zombie-like movements, the girl managed to pull on her clothes and pack her school bag before her usual panic had her screaming around the house to get away on time. As per normal, her father merely handed her a bagged surprise goodie for breakfast as she raced out of the building as if her backside were alight.

By some miracle, Marinette managed to get within the school grounds a whole six minutes before the bell was due to ring. Panting from her jog, the dark-haired girl looked around for her best friend as she bit into her impromptu breakfast. But her ability to chew ceased the moment she laid eyes on Alya. Alya who was in deep discussions with Adrien.

The bitten off chunk of food threatened to fall from Marinette's open mouth as her jaw dropped. Why was Alya talking to Adrien? And more importantly, what were they talking about?

Somehow the girl managed to close her mouth and resume chewing as she made her feet move. Her blue eyes were locked on the pair as she marched forward, determined to know what was going on. But as she neared, Adrien's proximity had her palms sweating and her heart racing. She'd been in his bedroom last night. Sure, she'd been Ladybug but she'd had the nerve to sit on his bed while he was on it. Heck, she was almost certain that they'd nearly kissed.

The memory caused her to trip on her own feet, alerting Alya and Adrien of her impending arrival.

"Hey girl!" Alya beamed as she reached out a hand to steady her clumsy best friend.

"Hi," Marinette replied, annoyed at herself as she felt the tell-tale heat of a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Her heart thundered at Adrien's greeting which consisted of a compassionate smile. "Are you okay, Marinette?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm fine. Just peachy." Good grief, she needed to shut up.

"Glad to hear it." And that smile grew into a spectacular expression which threatened to melt her kneecaps, if not her entire body.

She would not swoon! In her determination, the paper bag holding her breakfast crinkled under her tightening grip. The noise was enough to draw her attention and regain the ability to function somewhat normally.

Alya's voice had her turning her head. "Adrien and I were just having an interesting discussion."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, about your date."

Marinette's attention shot over to Adrien who was rubbing his nape and looking slightly sheepish. "Just getting a little guidance."

What did that mean? Again, Marinette could only utter, "Oh?"

Smugness lit Alya's face. "The boy likes to plan ahead," then the bespectacled girl elbowed the model, "I'll make sure she's ready to meet you at 5pm."

"Thanks," he replied as he sank his hands into his pockets and shyly glanced to Marinette then down to his toes and back again.

Further conversation was cut short as the bell rang and the students trudged their way to class. The rest of the day was something of a blur. Adrien was pulled from class prior to lunch for a photoshoot, so there was no further chatting to be had with the model.

Anxiety and anticipation mixed, meaning Marinette paid little attention in class to anything other than the clock. Both Alya and Tikki tried to subtly pull the dark-haired girl back on track but it was almost futile.

Alya walked her home and from there it was panic stations as Marinette agonised over what to wear, how to do her hair and what accessories to add. Alya provided the much needed calm voice of reason, which somehow managed to get Marinette settled enough to select a cute pink t-shirt dress, worn with a wide black belt and matching leggings. She slipped on her favourite ballet flats and usual handbag. While her hair stayed in her regular do.

"Are you sure I look nice?"

"You look cute and kissable."

Marinette wrinkled her nose. "I was hoping for sexy goddess."

"One step at a time, girl. We need your mind to function while near Adrien. If we amped you up to sexy goddess he might end up too hot for you to handle."

Alya's sly grin was missed by Marinette as she let out a dreamy sigh at the idea of having enraptured Adrien in such a way.

"Now get going, or you'll be late for your date!"

"Oh, right. Wait. Where am I meeting him?"

Her phone was shoved under her nose as Alya explained. "I've put the directions into your map app. Walk here and you'll find Adrien."

"Okay. Wish me luck?"

"Good luck," Alya beamed as she pulled in her bestie for a hug. "Go get him, girl."

* * *

With her head down, studying the phone, Marinette didn't immediately notice when she'd made it to her destination. Perhaps it was because Adrien stood at the curb side with his bodyguard, partly shadowed by the larger man. Or perhaps it was because the dark sedan was partly obscured by the rickshaw parked in front of it. But Marinette was far too busy pondering why she was being led to a place that held nothing but townhouses.

It was the warmth of Adrien's hands landing on her shoulders that brought her to a complete standstill. "You found me," he said with a touch of nervousness as his eyes ate up her appearance with a yearning that made her toes curl.

Blue eyes blinked in stunned silence as she lowered her phone to stare in return. "Uh, yeah, I did," she giggled.

"Shall we?" he said with a wave of his hand, turning her attention to the vehicle parked on the road.

With a gasp of awe, Marinette stared at the rickshaw. "We're going in that?"

"Yep."

Marinette swallowed as Adrien offered his hand to help her into the rickshaw. She prayed that her palms were not clammy as she stepped up and moved across the seat. The model quickly followed and settled beside her. Very close beside her. As in his shoulder to elbow were in contact with hers, and then he reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together and her heart threatened to explode.

"Sorry we didn't pick you up from home, I thought it a nice surprise to leave our transport as a bit of a mystery."

All she could do was nod. This was like a dream. The one she'd planned so long ago with her friends, the one that had gone completely awry. Yet here she was, with Adrien and she couldn't help but gaze at him with adoration. Strangely enough, and much to her elation, he wasn't looking away from the intensity of her stare. If anything, he seemed just as mesmerised.

A tendril of his blonde fringe fell forward and she realised just how close they were. Those gorgeous green eyes finally broke from hers to dip to her lips. She jumped as his free hand unexpectedly cupped her cheek. Amusement glinted in his eyes as he gave her a gentle smile. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Her response was a breathy whisper, "You didn't."

Adrien's thumb smoothed along the curve of her cheek. "May I kiss you, Marinette?"

Reaching for his collar, she gasped, "I thought you'd never ask."

His smile widened for a moment before his mouth met hers. The brush of his lips was soft yet decadent. Adrien's hand slid to cradle the back of her head as he increased the pressure, moving his mouth in a languid way that had her melting in his arms.

Yet he paused to speak. "Are you going to kiss me back?"

With that, Marinette tugged him forward by his shirt collar and let out all her pent up passion. Kissing him with such ardour that Adrien was pressed back in his seat from her enthusiasm. His arms wrapped around her as he quickly matched her fervour. It was only as the rickshaw stopped and there was a clearing of the driver's throat that they pulled away from each other.

Adrien's blonde mane was a little mused and his lips slightly swollen but his green eyes shone with delight. "Looks like we're here."

Marinette followed the line of Adrien gaze and gasped in astonishment. They'd stopped at Andre's ice cream cart. Just as she'd planned in her fantasy date.

* * *

**Things are going swimmingly on their ****date, but will it last? Will Adrien finally come clean? Find out more next chapter!**

**I'm just glad they finally kissed! I hope you are too. Thanks for reading and let me know what you'd like to see happen next :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**-13-**

Adrien wondered if it was terribly inappropriate to do a fist pump after that kiss and from the reaction he was currently receiving from Marinette. The girl had a dreamy glint to her eyes as she looked between him and the ice cream cart. Alya's advice had been spot on. This was exactly what Marinette wanted. Forget the rooftop picnic showered in rose petals and illuminated by candlelight, this was what his lady wanted and he planned on delivering.

The reminder of her alter ego had his excitement tempering. While their date was going fabulously well at the moment, he suspected by the end of the night it might be a different story. But for as long as he could, Adrien fully intended on romancing the absolutely heck out of Marinette. He wanted to show her how good it could be between them, if she gave him the chance.

Knowing that she carried a torch for his unmasked persona was certainly helping to boost his confidence and he intended to push his advantage while he could. Chat Noir's luck with his lady love had always been abysmal. He just hoped that would change when she discovered who lay beneath the black cat costume. Going by that scorching hot kiss, Adrien remained optimistic.

Helping her down from the rickshaw, the pair ordered an ice cream to share. One that Andre chose the flavours, deeming each a quality for the pair. Strawberry for love, passionfruit for kisses and chocolate for a romance true. Good grief, Adrien hoped that last part was accurate.

Together they held the ice cream cone, hands intercepting to hold each other, as they fed one another with the tiny coloured spoons. The world could have gone to hell in a handbasket and neither would have noticed. Instead, they were drowning in each other's eyes as they continued to share the ice cream.

The atmosphere between them heated up as they reached the cone. Dribbles of melted ice cream streamed upon their fingers and Adrien wasted no time in licking his partner's fingers clean. He hoped the distinctively feline move might have hinted to his secret persona but Marinette looked far too flustered to be thinking straight. Her bosom was practically quivering with how fast she was now breathing. And Adrien struggled not to stare at that particular region of her body.

All thoughts in his head were quashed as Marinette returned the favour, licking the melted ice cream from his fingers. He suddenly understood why she had been in such a state, not doubting that he appeared just as flustered. When she briefly sucked his thumb into her mouth he unconsciously crushed the cone within his hand.

"Sorry," he uttered more out of basic principles rather than in actual apology. Adrien was more than okay with her doing such things to him again.

Marinette blushed. "It's okay."

Looking at the mess in his hand, Adrien decided it best to discard the ice cream and move onto their next destination. Tossing the crushed cone in the garbage bin, Adrien wiped his hands with the remaining serviette before reaching for Marinette.

"We're not done yet."

"We're not?" she asked in surprise.

"Nope, I've got something else planned."

But they were too far away from their destination to go by rickshaw. Adrien led Marinette to the dark sedan that awaited them. His bodyguard was never too far away when he was out of the house, at least as Adrien. Opening the rear door, the gorilla of a man paused as the couple settled in the backseat, then he returned to the driver's seat.

Adrien had once again intertwined his fingers with Marinette's. They chatted about school and other safe topics while not alone, yet there was an underlying sexual tension between them that simmered the entire time. This was how he'd envisioned it to be between him and his lady. If only he'd known sooner that Ladybug was Marinette.

How he longed to kiss her again and he sincerely hoped to at their next destination. One of the most famous icons in Paris loomed large before them. One that had been the location of many akuma attacks. One which had been a place of numerous memories for Ladybug and Chat Noir. Yet they'd never visited simply to enjoy the experience which was the Eiffel Tower.

Perhaps it was cliché, but Adrien wanted to take his lady to the top and dazzle her. Being wealthy meant that the Agreste's were able to gain access to places limited by others and he'd been able to obtain 30 minutes of uninterrupted viewing of the city. Marinette continued to chatter with him as they ascending the tower within the elevator. His bodyguard remained with them, silent and still as always.

But the gorilla of a man hung back after he perused the area to ensure it truly was devoid of other participants. Then the man stepped away to give them some privacy.

"You arranged this?" Marinette asked in astonishment as she waved her hand at their surroundings.

"Yes, but only for a short while."

She gasped and squeezed his hand. "I can hardly believe it."

Biting his bottom lip, Adrien decided it was time to drop a hint. "Believe it, milady, this is all for you."

Marinette's gaze darted to him with a look of glee as she gazed between him and the magnificent view. "I feel like I'm dreaming."

He tugged on their joined hands, bringing her closer. "It's not a dream. This is very real."

Again, they were caught in an intense stare that had them leaning in. Adrien dipped his head as Marinette launched up on her toes to kiss him. The cool wind whipped around them but the model didn't care. He was too busy losing himself to the amazing sensation that was Marinette. With her wrapped in his arms, nothing could feel more right. The girl of his dreams was reciprocating his feelings, his needs, his yearning. Time lost all meaning as they were so caught up in each other.

This was what Adrien had craved for so very long and he didn't want to relinquish it. Never had he ever doubted that it was love that he felt for his partner and right now, that assumption was confirmed. Placing his hands on either side of Marinette's face, he gently pulled away so he could look at her.

There was a rawness to his voice as he spoke. "Nothing in my life compares to this moment. I'm so glad we're finally together."

Marinette grinned at his words but then confusion knit her brow. "Finally? I-I didn't think… I mean, I um, thought you hadn't noticed me that way until recently."

"Part of me has always known how amazing you are. Another part was completely smitten. You're right though, only recently did those pieces connect and open my eyes."

Puzzlement continued to etch her features. "Okay."

Adrien's fingers sank into Marinette's hair as he angled her face up to his again. "My heart is yours. Has been since the moment you knocked me off my feet, entangling me in your yoyo string."

Blue eyes widened. "Yoyo string?"

"The first time we met with our masks on, when I was walking across my extended baton. Although I didn't realise how much you'd woven me under your spell until you stood up to Hawkmoth that very first time."

Marinette's chin wobbled as her mouth tried to form words.

"I've flirted with you, showed off to you and hoped you'd learn to love me as Chat Noir. I had no idea that you were smitten with me as Adrien until that last akuma. Then everything suddenly made sense. We were besotted with the opposite side of each other's personas. To discover Ladybug was also my good friend Marinette was quite a shock but one that I'm very happy about."

"Y-You're… you're Chat Noir." Disbelief and shock were clear in Marinette's voice but she hadn't attempted to move away from him.

"Yes."

Adrien removed his right hand from cupping her face to display his silver ring upon his finger. "Doesn't look so miraculous right now," he teased.

Marinette continued to stare at him. Her blue eyes so wide as she took in his words. "Chat Noir," she mumbled to herself as she dropped her head, trying to process all that she'd heard.

"And Adrien Agreste," he added to balance out her thoughts. "Kind of explains Oblivio, doesn't it?" he chuckled.

Again, her eyes were on him. "When did you know about me? Was it that last akuma, when I… um, I…"

"Ogled my billboard with unabashed lust? No. It was before then."

Her fingers tightened at his nape. "How long before?"

"Back when you were under the stairs at school. I saw you drop your transformation before I realised what was happening. I was so exhausted after that akuma fight that it took too long for my brain to register what was about to occur. I should have turned away but I didn't, and for that I'm sorry. Yet I don't regret what I did, because it meant I finally found you."

* * *

**And the cat's out of the bag. How do you think Marinette will respond now that she knows?**

**Share your thoughts in the review box below. Thanks for reading! **


	14. Chapter 14

**-14-**

Marinette didn't know what to say. Here she stood within the circle of Adrien Agreste's arms as he confessed he was Chat Noir. And that he'd discovered she was Ladybug. But it seemed so surreal. As if her brain couldn't absorb the information it had just received. Instead her mind was muddled by the burning affection in his eyes and the memory of those phenomenal kisses.

Part of her recognised that she should have been mad at him but how could she be? The guy had taken her on an absolute dream date. Here they stood at the peak of the Eiffel Tower in the renowned city of love in which they both lived, and all she could think about was how perfect everything could be.

Adrien had just confessed that his heart was hers. That he'd been longing for this moment as much as she secretly had been too. Perhaps it would have been different if the news had been delivered by Chat Noir but it hadn't been. Here stood Adrien, laying it all on the line because he wanted to be with her.

How could she be angry at that? All her years of yearning weren't in vain. They'd simply been misguided. Had she known that Adrien Agreste lingered under that cat mask she would have probably fainted. Yet her mind didn't want to delve too deeply in what if's and past transgressions. It wanted to live in the moment unfurling now.

Marinette wanted to savour the way Adrien's fingers tightened their hold on her as he waited patiently. As if he were determined to make this moment of fantasy stretch out as long as possible. His last words linger in her head, _"I finally found you."_

Hardly conscious at the words tumbling out of her own mouth, Marinette answered Adrien. "I'm glad you finally did."

Adrien exhaled a heavy relieved breath. "Thank goodness," he grinned as he lowered his face to hers. "For a moment there I thought you were going to lash out at me."

"When you did all this for me? No, Adrien, not at all."

She didn't allow him to answer with words, as Marinette curled herself against his body and kissed him again. Not caring about anything but how right this felt. Tomorrow she'd question it more deeply and ask the difficult questions, scrutinising every past move and word. But for now, she let it go and focussed on the bliss that was being with Adrien.

All too soon their 30 minute window ended and it was time for them to leave. Adrien's bodyguard would not allow them to stay in such a populated area without backup. So, the three of them descended the tower in solitude. Adrien continued to hold her hand as they faced each other, while his other arm wrapped around her waist. His chin rested on the top of her head as she waited for them to reach the bottom.

People milled about outside and Adrien ducked his head in attempt to be discrete. The gorilla of a bodyguard subtly cleared their path while somehow managing to give them room to breathe.

They were almost to the car when someone called out. "Look, it's Adrien Agreste."

"Isn't that his girlfriend, you know, the one from ages ago that was wearing her pyjamas with him." Another added.

Adrien's arm tightened around her as he increased the speed of their strides. The bodyguard opened the rear door of the car and the pair practically leapt inside. Flashes of smart phone cameras taking pictures followed, meaning both Marinette and Adrien turned to face one another, ducking down to escape the attention. Only when they drove away did the duo let out a shared sigh of relief.

"That brings back memories," Marinette chuckled.

"Unfortunately, that happens to me more regularly than I'd like."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's just the price of stardom."

Adrien's words made Marinette freeze as she remembered Chat Noir saying them during their debacle with Nadja after their first prime time interview. And the reality of their situation began to click within Marinette's brain. She found herself reaching for Adrien's right hand, her thumb brushing over the flat surface on his ring.

"It really is _you _isn't it."

A touch of nervousness shone faintly in the model's eyes. "Yes," he all but whispered. "You're not getting cold feet on me, are you?"

Marinette shook her head but her smile wasn't as vibrant. What did this mean for Ladybug and Chat Noir? She wanted to verbalise the question but couldn't, not in the presence of Adrien's bodyguard. Instead, she clung to his hand. Wanting to draw out the fantasy just a little longer.

But as the sedan pulled up before the bakery, Marinette knew their date was essentially over. Adrien was ever the gentleman, walking her to her door where they paused to gaze at one another. The spell that had been cast over them earlier had lost its potency, yet they still eyed each other with yearning.

"Thank you," Adrien began, then cleared his throat as he continued. "Tonight has been wonderful. A dream come true, actually."

Marinette smiled back at him. "Yes, it has been."

"This might be too soon, maybe I'm being too forward, but Marinette would you be my girlfriend?" The model rubbed at his nape as she stood stunned before him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked, I-I…"

But Adrien's babbling was cut off as Marinette grabbed him by his shirt front and kissed him. She opened her lashes briefly and smiled when she saw that he'd finally closed his eyes. But this kiss couldn't linger too long. No doubt her parents were probably waiting just within the doorframe, eagerly hoping for a recap of the night.

As Marinette released Adrien, she cupped her hands on his cheeks. "Yes, Adrien. I would like nothing more than to be your girlfriend."

The grin he bestowed on her was almost blinding. "Really?"

"Really."

He ducked down for a quick peck before stepping back to simply take her in as if he couldn't believe it. "I just… wow. I don't know what to say," he exclaimed as he raked his hands through his hair. "I guess I'll see you soon."

At his glance to the rooftops, Marinette smirked. "More than likely."

"Well then, I suppose I should leave you now." He didn't move away.

Marinette retrieved her key from her handbag and unlocked the door. "Good night, Adrien."

"Good night… milady."

Blue eyes locked with green as Marinette backed through the open doorway. She gave a final wave and carefully closed the door. Raising her hand, she placed her palm against the painted wood and dropped her forehead to rest against it. The night had been incredible yet she was also in a daze.

But Marinette didn't have time to pour over her thoughts. As expected her parents suddenly appeared and wanted to know how it all went.

* * *

Between the celebratory response from her parents and the incessant messaging from Alya for details, it was very late by the time Marinette showered and got ready for bed. Excitement thrummed through her veins at the reality of finally having Adrien as her boyfriend, yet there was the secret side of his persona to consider.

Up until this point she hadn't really had a chance to talk to Tikki. Now alone in the confines of her room, the tiny kwami was looking at her expectantly.

Drawing in a deep breath, Marinette addressed the elephant in the room. "What does this mean for Ladybug and Chat Noir? I know we were never meant to learn our secret identities."

Tikki let out a sigh. "It was bound to happen eventually. The number of close calls you've both had have been numerous. To last this long has been pretty fortunate. My biggest concern is how you'll interact together. For Chat Noir, nothing much will have really changed. He's always treated you as the most amazing person in his life, putting you above all other things. But for Ladybug, this will be difficult. I know how much you admire Adrien. Do you honestly think you could toss him into the fray, as you usually would with Chat Noir, now that you know who lies behind the mask?"

Marinette ran a hand over her face. "I don't know." She let out a snort while shaking her head, "While I hate to admit it, I've never hesitated when putting Chat into such situations because he's always been so cocky and sure of himself. Knowing it's Adrien… I-I'm not sure how I'll react now."

"You have to respond the way you always do. Hawkmoth must not know that your relationship with your partner has changed. If he knows it's deepened, he'll use it against you."

"It's not like he hasn't pitted us against each other before."

"But you didn't know it was Adrien you were facing."

Flopping back on her mattress, Marinette gazed up through her skylight to the stars. "This changes everything."

Tikki shifted to float by her side. "No, it only changes your perception. Adrien has always been your Chat Noir."

The concept had the girl's lips pulling into a lopsided smirk, "My Chat Noir. I do like the sound of that."

* * *

**Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I wanted it right and I've also been busy. **

**Do you think Ladybug will be up for the new challenge? Maybe it's time she talked directly with her partner... what do you think?**

**Thanks for your patience and support. **


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